Morgan – World Neighbours Canada

Recently WNC published a new addition to the website that focuses on the personal experience of those involved with WNC and our partner organizations. We received both written stories and images, as well as a video submission from Nepal! If you are looking to read more about our partners and the work that is being enacted in Honduras, Nepal and Burkina Faso from another angle, you can find the link to these stories here: https://worldneighbours.ca/stories/

Here is the first story that we will be sharing about Woba from Burkina Faso:

“It has been 6 years since APDC helped me get involved in the animal fattening activity (l’embouche). So APDC supported me with a loan of 30,000 francs and I paid for a sheep. I paid 25,000 for the sheep and I raised it for a year. After that, I sold the sheep for 50,000; I took the 50,000cfa and I bought two sheep. So I raised them for two years. And then I sold the two sheep for 150,000. And I removed 100,000cfa and I paid for a calf (a baby cow). So the money that was left, I helped to pay the school fees for my children and also I bought clothes for my family. Clothes to clothe them. This year I embarked in sheep fattening, and now also beef fattening boivine. So now, now I am raising and fattening steers. So, I want to say thank you to APDC and the partners who have supported me because they have helped me a lot”

For those of you wanting to read these stories but not all at the same time, they will be shared on our social media sites over the coming months.

Although most people reflected on 2020 on New Year’s Eve, we would like to use today’s post to do a small reflection and summary.

This year has been hard for most. It has forced people to change their lifestyles, their ways of thinking, interacting, and connecting. For us, we believe that although 2020 was a year of hardship, it has made us and many others more grateful for the things we have, the things we have accomplished, the people in our lives and the connections, both through online mediums, but especially in person. It has made us more present and appreciative of those who are in front of us and the special moments that are created with others.

This year we had the privilege of hosting Edwin Escoto from Vecinos Honduras for two weeks in March. This year we all experienced a global pandemic and had our lives flipped upside down. This year we were able to work with BCCIC in their outreach project surrounding COVID response. This year Burkina Faso experienced increased terrorism within their country, including an attack on an animal market close to where our partner organization APDC works. This year saw Hurricanes Eta and Iota rip through Honduras and create extensive damage to farms and other infrastructure. This year saw a strict lockdown in Nepal in response to COVID-19, causing the deferral of village water system construction until early 2021.

Overall, 2020 has been quite the year. However, with all of these events, we have been able to learn from them and as a result are grateful for a number of things. We were grateful this year to welcome Edwin to Canada and to do a tour around British Columbia. We were grateful to reach out and find new people to join the World Neighbours Canada community, whether through volunteering, donating, or following the activities of our partners. We were grateful that online mediums made it possible for us to continue to connect with our partners throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, whether about projects or the health and safety of the communities where they work. Although this switch to communicating more frequently online was necessary during the pandemic, it has made us even more excited to connect again in person with our partners and those within our community.

So, here is to 2021 and all that it will bring!

How to help:

Volunteer

World Neighbours Canada relies on volunteers for all of its activities. If you can help with any of the following things we would love to hear from you:

organizing visits to schools and clubs when we have guests from overseas.

helping with fundraising events, such as fasts in secondary schools.

copying letters, stuffing envelopes, putting on stamps, etc.

We also organize occasional study tours to the countries where we provide support. If you are interested let us know and we will tell you what is involved. We do not send volunteers overseas to work on our behalf.

Visit Our Program Areas

Our program directors occasionally travel to the program areas to oversee the project. If you are interested in being a program donor, you may be interested in coming along for a visit.

Please understand you will be expected to pay your own way. Remember, we have no paid staff and low, low overhead, so we are able to send 100% of your donation to be used where it matters most.

Donate

Because our overhead costs are very low, we send 100% of your donation to the field programs. (Our minimal administrative costs are covered by our directors.)

World Neighbours Canada Society was founded in B.C. in 1989, and currently supports village-based integrated development programs in Honduras, Nepal and Burkina Faso.

World Neighbours Canada is a non-sectarian organization. We are a federally registered Canadian charity (BN 89212 8646 RR 0001).

Author: Morgan

Sharing Stories

2020: The Year in Summary